Editorial

The GNWT should be commended for recognizing the need to control greenhouse gas emissions. However, there seems to be a severe lack of will to halt more CO2 from spewing into the atmosphere.

Over the next decade, with the Mackenzie Valley pipeline and predicted mining activity, the NWT will see a 114 per cent increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

Despite a 10 per cent reduction in government emissions, industry and transportation emissions are expected to rise.

Ecology North cited a number of areas in which the government could have done more, such as a carbon tax. Ecology North believes the argument that if a rebate program was implemented and industry was the primary target, cost of living in communities would skyrocket, is unfounded.

There is also a recommendation that the pipeline be a carbon neutral project. Essentially, that means the project partners would have to invest in a national carbon saving fund to an amount equal to their carbon emissions. The idea is that money will reduce carbon emissions elsewhere for a net zero emission increase nationally.

Certainly the GNWT's emission strategy is too industry-friendly. But we all know why, recognizing how vital economic and industrial development are to the North.

The bottom line may well be that our newfound industrial wealth will come at the price of helping to destroy the planet in the process.

Stupid Tax needed

This month two men lacking common sense cost the NWT upwards of $50,000 when they got drunk, took a snowmobile out on the land and then got lost. These men were lucky to be found alive; to compound their error they left home poorly dressed for the -25C temperatures.

The incident required the deployment of a C-130 Hercules aircraft, the 440 Squadron Twin Otter, an RCMP aircraft and several members of the Canadian Rangers.

Jack Kruger, NWT search and rescue co-ordinator, was right to be livid by what happened, as he told NWT News/North. Not only did these two men from Fort Resolution waste tax payers' money, they wasted the use of millions of dollars worth of equipment and put people's lives at risk.

Obviously, search teams cannot leave those with an acute lack of forethought to die on the ice, but there comes a time when people have to be made accountable for their actions.

Maybe it is time to implement a stupid tax on unnecessary and avoidable search and rescue calls. In cases like this when people choose not to think and put themselves and others at risk they should be on the hook for some of the cost. Of course, $50,000 in most cases, would not be retrievable, but maybe a $2,000 fine and some community service time hauling gear for the Canadian Rangers would be in order.

Behind bars, below standards

While some may feel little sympathy for those locked up for committing crimes, the overcrowded conditions are cause for concern. The existing jail in Iqaluit is meant to accommodate 66 inmates.

There have been as many as 93 prisoners lodged in cells recently.

Nunavut's director of corrections, Alan Hartley, acknowledged that lunch has to be served in shifts to avoid having too many convicts in one place at one time.

But the overcrowding has also forced dozens of prisoners to sleep in close quarters in the facility's gym.

This creates a need for an additional supervisory corrections staff member, and it increases the risk of an incident with an inmate or amongst the convicts themselves. A new $37 million Nunavut jail is slated to be built in Rankin Inlet, creating about 36 new beds, but that facility won't open until 2011. With time to revise plans, the government ought to consider expanding the cells to house even more prisoners.

Nunavut's population, as the 2006 Statistics Canada census indicated, is growing substantially. Obviously, as the population grows, the number of inmates is bound to grow, too.

In the meantime, the safety of staff must remain paramount while the Baffin Correctional Centre is left to handle an overflow of criminals, many of whom have proven that they pose a danger to society.

One for the record books

The Canada Winter Games has come and gone, but not without some remarkable accomplishments by Nunavut's contingent, 60-strong.

Iqaluit's Eugene Dederick grappled his way to a bronze in judo, marking the territory's first medal in the history of the Games.

That is no small feat and it surely didn't come without some long hours of practice.

Nunavut's participants in the Inuit and Dene games acquitted themselves in truly admirable fashion.

They racked up an impressive total of 28 medals in events like the Alaskan high kick, kneel jump, one-hand reach, knuckle hop, finger pull, hand games and snow snake.

Although those events were demonstration sports this year, it bodes well for Nunavut in the future.For those who didn't capture medals, an honest effort is still commendable.

The trip, the experience and the camaraderie surely served as rewards for the athletes' display of talent and years of dedication.

Unsung hero deserves praise

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Whether among the most successful, or struggling along in relatively obscurity, every organization has them.

They're the people you rarely hear anything about if you don't deal directly with the organization they represent.

While others attend the photo opportunities and are often seen as the face of a corporation, they toil quietly and effectively behind the scenes to meet their objectives.

They have a variety of titles on their business cards (those who actually have business cards), and their day-to-day existence revolves around making things happen at the grassroots level.

They rarely have input on major financial decisions, mission statements or the obligatory "vision for the future" most spokespeople can work into a five-minute chat numerous times.

And, while the presidents and executive directors are discussing strategy with cocktail napkins folded neatly on their laps - these folks can be found at the church working with youth, sitting on a floor sewing along with other participants, or humbly "negotiating" with local businesses to secure enough knick-knacks to use at their next fundraising event or community gathering.

And that's after they have spent countless hours researching available funding, and typing doggedly away at a proposal long after the lights should have been turned off for the evening.

They are the community reps and project co-ordinators so often taken for granted, and nowhere is their task more important than in the North, especially in Nunavut.

They are true unsung heroes, especially among elders and youth.

Regular readers of the Kivalliq News know I have had some issues with the Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA) and its invest arm, the Sakku Investments Corp., during the past nine years.

But the times they are a changin' and the KIA has been improving steadily with its performance during the past few years.

The one constant during that time, however, is the respect I've always had for the KIA's unsung hero extraordinaire, Bernadette Dean, and it's time for credit long overdue in this space.

I often wonder if those who occupy the president and executive-director's chairs at the KIA truly appreciate what Dean accomplishes on an annual basis.

Whether you're talking about the catchy tune on the radio sung by regional youth and geared at strengthening Inuktitut skills among the young, the ongoing gatherings of ladies improving their traditional sewing skills, youth symposiums, trips out on the land to develop survival skills, or an early-morning gathering at a fly-swarmed field for kids to learn baseball skills - many of these programs can be traced back to the same cubicle at the Sakku building in Rankin Inlet.

Dean is not alone when it comes to people who fit this category in the Kivalliq, but she is one of the best at what she does and rarely gets the accolades she deserves.

And, while we have no way of knowing how many who benefit from her efforts thank her for the experience, we can acknowledge how much she has done to improve the quality of life in our region.

She is the KIA's most deserving unsung hero of the past decade.

A stronger Internet presence

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum
Friday, March 23, 2007

The Internet is something else. I spend more than the lion's share of my time browsing web sites and posting messages to my friends on Bebo.

Among the streaming episodes of The Simpsons and bootleg versions of theatrical releases, you can find some technical information about Inuvik and the surrounding area.

I'm concerned that the people of Inuvik are not being adequately represented. I think we're being lost on the Internet in a growing pile of scraggly-bearded travellers and touristas.

In a quick Google search, I found two pages of results that all pointed to "official" sites and information posted by many organizations in the region.

Among those results were blogs and web-journals by people who experienced only 72 hours of sun and did not get to enjoy the spring time ice break-up.

What I did not find nearly enough of was local blogs. Yeah those long diary-esque rantings of people who want to keep their friends informed of the latest news.

Where are all the people from Inuvik who post their thoughts and photos of life in Inuvik? I want to see some more from the inside of Northern life. I have had enough of the "outsider" perspective.

Sure we live differently here and maybe your friends back home want to hear about how cold it is, or how much more you pay for vegetables now.

I think a few blogs or websites about the traditional life would fare well on the world wide web.

One day I would love to search for "Rachel Reindeer camp" and see tons of photos and comments from local people who spend weeks upon weeks on the land.

Students at Sir Alex have been on the land and I want to read about it.

Websites like Bebo or Facebook are now even easier to use, which should open the door to a new generation of bloggers.

With the information age taking off and soaring, isolation is becoming a thing of the past in Inuvik. We are all connected to the south via e-mail and teleconferencing.

I complained a few weeks ago about not having top-notch theatrical movies in town. Well, if you're willing to gather around a computer monitor, there are places to find those flicks. Just be prepared to watch the guy in front of the camera get up for popcorn now and then. I am not advocating bootlegging movies, nor am I endorsing the irresponsible use of said websites.

The most important thing to remember when uploading your photos and information is to be respectful and responsible.

Last year, a video was uploaded to a bebo page, which in turn was spread around like butter on a warm piece of bannock.

Some people got in trouble for the incident, which stresses the point, ask for permission before uploading images of anybody.

I saw David Musselwhite offering his photos online of hockey and scenes around Inuvik. I think it's a great idea for someone with ties to the community to promote the region.

With the Muskrat Jamboree just around the corner, I think someone should take some initiative and post some videos of the long weekend.

Maybe seeing Roy Ipana tell some of his jokes on Bebo will increase our winter tourism for next season.

Braving the winter roads

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
Friday, March 23, 2007

I'd like to send a tip of the hat out to all those people who drive winter roads on a regular basis, particularly the residents of Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte.

I had my first proper winter road experience last week while driving to Trout Lake to attend their Ndu Tah spring carnival.

Heading down the winter road, I learned about the meaning of bumpy and tested the range of my truck's shocks. Even at my cautious speed ranging between 30 and 60 km/h, I often wondered if my truck might bounce into the snow banks lining the road.

Added challenges were thrown in when I met up with transport trucks hauling loads of gravel to the community. Squeezing past those things doesn't look possible when you are staring one down and is just as tricky when you actually attempt it.

Arriving in Trout Lake three hours later, a popular question was how I had found the road. Not wanting to sound like the Southerner that I am, I cautiously commented that it wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be.

This was evidently the right answer as almost every person responded that yes, the road was in rather good shape.

One person even commented that maybe they should have brought the gravel trucks in earlier because they'd done such a great job of flattening out the road.

Although I'd love to drive to Trout Lake again, the idea that the road I drove was in a smooth state fills me with a fair bit of trepidation.

The people who drive those roads as part of their everyday lives in the winter deserve a great deal of admiration and maybe even a discount on shocks.

Although to some people looking in from the outside, the Deh Cho must seem like a sleepy little backwater, there is always something happening in the area.

Meetings and workshops occur on a constant basis and people are regularly travelling to attend sessions in places like Yellowknife.

A recent example is the regional product development workshop in Fort Simpson hosted by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

The goal of the workshop was to bring together people with interests in tourism to discuss what is going well in the sector, what needs to be worked on and how changes can be made. Gerd Fricke, the regional superintendent of Industry, Tourism and Investment, made a valid point that relates to many of these types of workshops and meetings.

Speaking about product development, Fricke said that ideas for change and development have to come from the community because community members will be the driving forces behind any products.

This is something important for all meeting-goers to remember.

Getting ideas and suggestions is a wonderful thing, but they need to be put through a filter to sort out what will work best for individual communities.